Paint a Faux Venetian Plaster Finish
Do you love the look of the aged-plaster walls found in European country manors? Re-create that look with nothing more than paint -- no messy plaster required.
From Paint Decor
The Basics
Troweling on thin layers of paint creates the timeworn look of aged Venetian plaster in minutes instead of centuries. If your tastes or color choices change after using this technique, you can simply paint over the layers with little, if any, sanding.
1. Pour French Roast, Smokey Topaz, and Tassel into one foil pan (pictured). Pour Tassel, Anjou Pear, and Jersey Cream into the other foil pan.
2. Dip the trowel into French Roast. Beginning at the bottom of the wall, apply the paint about one-quarter of the way up the wall (see photo); wipe trowel. Starting at the top of the wall, apply Jersey Cream about one-quarter of the way down the wall; do not wipe trowel.
3. Dip the trowel into Anjou Pear, then carefully into Jersey Cream so that there are two colors on the trowel. Starting near the top of the wall, apply the paint down the wall (see photo).
4. Continue picking up two colors at a time. Using progressively darker colors and working toward the bottom of the wall, connect the color at the top to the French Roast section (see photo).
5. After you have applied color to the entire wall, step back and evaluate the effect. Add more tones and highlights as desired (see photo).
see Tips and Other Color Options
Note: All colors are Sherwin-Williams semigloss latex paint.
- Use at least three colors for this technique, but, after that, you can use as many as you like.
- Choose at least one pale hue, one medium hue, and one dark hue for this technique for richer results.
- You don't have to prime over a previously painted wall. Instead, just work over it. When you're finished, you'll see hints of the original color, which will create more interest. If you are unhappy with the amount of color that shows through, just apply more paint.
- Don't wipe excess paint off the trowel; the randomness of the application is what creates the illusion of depth.
- Apply a final, lightly tinted antiquing glaze over the entire wall to add depth and unite the colors.